Posts Tagged ‘diuretic’
Any diuretic, be it synthetic or natural, increases the level of urine your body would typically eliminate. Normally, the kidneys create urine by filtering out potassium, sodium ions, and of course water from the bloodstream. Via a complicated system, the kidneys give back a precise level of those ions and some of the water as well back to the blood so the levels in the bloodstream stay constant and consistent. All of the other extra water ends up in the bladder in the form of urine. When illness makes the blood flow to the kidneys much less, they react to this by storing extra water, this is the basic and principle reason diuretics are given to prospective patients. You also might be aware that medical practitioners also recommend various diuretic treatments to help with high blood pressure, certain liver diseases, and congestive heart failure; all of these illnesses cause some type of water retention.
Often people who are trying to reduce or lose excess weight look into a diuretic cleanse or other natural diuretics like a diuretic juice. If this is something you are trying to do, you should be made aware that any loss of weight you lose as a result of any diuretic use natural or not will just be short lived. Excessive use or an overuse of any diuretics including natural options like diuretic juices without any sort of proper doctor supervision can bring on dehydration; this can lead to kidney harm any out of whack levels of electrolytes like the potassium and sodium electrolytes mentioned earlier, which is crucial for heart function, liver and kidney health and function too. When electrolytes are in an imbalanced state, the body is at a very severe risk for some kind of heart failure and even sudden death. Having said that cautionary message, I advise avoiding foods with high levels of sodium which include sports drinks, and other more processed foods and beverages; this is one of the reasons why many fruit and veggie juices act as diuretic juices, because of their naturally low levels of sodium.
There are beverages that I can recommend specifically for natural diuretic use. Any drink that has alcohol and caffeine have a diuretic result, and several other juices including celery juice, onion juice, watermelon juice, and asparagus juice are known to have diuretic effects on the body. A cranberry juice diuretic or lemon juice diuretic drinks are also effective as well. There are diuretic herbs as well that can be used alongside the juices or by themselves. Some of these are corn silk, parsley, and hawthorn which are staples of alternative remedies. Of the ones mentioned, the hawthorn herb is the most potent. I would advise though that IF you are prescribed any kind of diuretic by your doctor that you consider his advice first before trying to treat yourself.
Sometimes you’re not looking to do an entire cleansing system or your just looking to tackle general lethargy or sluggishness and you feel cleaning yourself out once in awhile just might do the trick, well the good news is that there are tons of simple and effective mini total cleanse detox remedies and tips that’s can help alleviate the issue your trying to deal with. As always I recommend using organic and fresh fruits and vegetables when tackling any of these issues which are mostly dietary, and always be sure to filter your water, or buy tested and verified bottled water, as tap water is more often than not simply to unsafe to drink in many places and would be counterproductive to what your trying to do.
A great way to combat lethargy and general sluggishness is through the use of natural stimulants like green tea which contain healthy levels of naturally occurring caffeine which is then counter balanced with L-theanine which is also naturally present in green tea. L-theanine acts as an anxiety reducer and mood balancer which can often help normalize the body and reduce the onset lethargy that follows caffeine use, this way you benefit from the energy boost without suffering the ill effects of caffeine.
To combat bloating, juicing is often recommended because it acts as a diuretic, bloating is often the result of excess waste and water retention that comes from bad dietary and physical lifestyle habits. I always recommend in any total cleanse body detox that juicing be a staple of the regimen because of this fact alone. I realize it is counter intuitive to think drinking MORE liquid will lead to a diuretic effect and water waste removal, but there is a reason this ends up actually being the case.
What the body does is essentially “trade” the good fluids for the bad, or more accurately it exchanges the toxins and poisons retained in the fatty areas and watery deposits within the body for the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found within the juice. As a result of this process the toxins along with some of the excess water waste end up being flushed along with them during urination and defecation. This is the primary reason people, especially those in very bad health, seem to urinate more out then liquids they took in, and end up going to the bathroom frequently, this is perfectly normal and a sign that it’s working.
There are many different cleanses out there and different subsets of different combinations of the largest known ways to total cleanse the body, and there are also some basic principles found in every one of them, one of these principles is the diuretic cleanse. A diuretic cleanse is really any cleanse that helps remove excess water/waste from the body; this is not just limited to the colon or digestive system either. Your body can hold within its fat and within its tissue excessive water weight which can not only ad to increased illness but also carry toxins as well. Fluid retention is a very common problem that a lot of people, especially those who have lived a rather unhealthy lifestyle deal with, and is one of the many factors that contribute too many people’s difficulty in weight loss despite plenty of exercise.
Two of the most common areas to deal with in the body for helping to relieve water retention is the bladder and the kidneys. Your kidneys are especially important here as they play a huge role in your body’s elimination process, and excrete waste in the form of urine. These organs perform the rather complex task of removing toxins and harmful waste from protein metabolism which is then created into urea or uric acid. In addition to those vital roles, they also extract from the lymphatic system and the blood as well used up minerals and other various elements too, this includes waste water- hence a diuretic cleanse helps to stimulate this process in a body that has been nutritionally deficient for a long time. A great and simple formula for cleansing this set of organs is the regular intake of fresh juiced celery juice which is widely known as a natural diuretic. Another daily tonic would be the drinking of freshly brewed dandelion tea, dandelion is also known for being an excellent diuretic but it also is a fantastic source of potassium and acts as a great blood tonic, a urinary tract stimulant which is good for the bladder, and of course a great cleanser for removing excess liquid from the body. Please be sure you include dandelion leaf solids in the tea for a stronger effect.
Dandelion is great as a diuretic cleanse, and is fantastic for stimulating the urinary tract as mentioned above. But there are other great tonics and herbal diuretic ingredients out there as well for urinary and bladder issues. One of these is Bearberry which when used with corn silk has been known to greatly sooth and heal the urinary tract. There are a lot of different tinctures out there so be sure to review the products well and ask others who may be taking it or have before purchasing any product. Another one of the really great diuretic herbs to help in this area is Cleavers which can really round out the overall herbal approach mentioned above. Make sure that along with a diuretic cleanse you are also getting fresh veggie and fruit juice along with a healthy diet, and don’t rely on the cleanse or a diuretic herb alone as you also need vitamin B6 which supports kidney function, but you also need reasonable amounts of magnesium and potassium too the latter of which is really great at balancing out high levels of sodium which often lead to excess water retention.
On day two you should really be starting to feel the effects of the total cleanse. Be sure to shower regularly as a vast amount of the toxins will sweat out through your pores, and you don’t want them lingering as it’s not healthy and can often smell offensive. Continue with the juicing regime I outlined in the prior article The Basic Core cleanse and Juice Fast Guide: Day 1. Be sure not exercise too strenuously as your body is not in a condition for it, but do be sure to get a minimal amount of cardio throughout the fast so that the blood flow is pumping properly and carrying out all those toxins to the various parts of your body to expel.
Now let me Elaborate why I recommended the juices I did. These are not frivolous choices given without care- they were selected for a reason and for optimum cleansing. Let’s start with…..
Beet juice: The beet juice is considered as one of the best vegetable juices for detox cleansing. It is a rich source of natural sugar. It contains sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulfur, chlorine, iodine, iron, copper, and vitamin B1, B2, C and P. This juice is rich in easily digestible carbohydrates, but the calorie content is low. The protein factors or amino acids are good in both quality and quantity. Beets also have great healing qualities as well, and have therapeutic value. They have properties to clean the kidneys and gall bladder (which help detox the body). Being rich in alkaline elements, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron, they are useful in combating acidosis and aid the natural processes of elimination.
Cucumber Juice: Cucumber is well known for its healing and diuretic properties. It’s a great source of Copper, Chlorine, Folate (folic acid), Magnesium, Vitamins B6, K, & C, Potassium, Panthothemic acid, Phosphorus, Thiamin, and Sulfur. Cucumber peel itself is rich in vitamin A as well (hence making your own juice is more potent). Cucumber juice has a tendency to increase its own potency and the potency of other veggie juices when mixed so not only does it act as a diuretic because its 90% water but it also increases the strength of the other veggie juice. (Did I mention it’s great for the skin?
Carrot Juice: Carrot juice is the most powerful veggie juice there is next to wheat grass, and thankfully is one of the most plentiful even bottled for those of you without access to a juicer. Carrot juice is one of the richest sources of vitamin A that can be used in the daily diet. It also ranks high as a source of the other anti aging vitamins, especially those of the B complex. Its mineral content is equally rich, and includes calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, chlorine, sulfur, and iron. The vitamin A content of carrot juice helps to strengthen the eyes and is essential in keeping healthy condition the mucous membranes which line all the cavities of the body, as well as strengthening the bones teeth and tissues of the body among its many other benefits.
The next article will be on how to conduct your final day of fasting and beyond.
